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The government has been blamed for burdening the common man and business community during the first 100 days of its tenure by increasing electricity and gas prices.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Establishment Arbab Shahzad and Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain had to face tough questions, especially on economic front, with media persons during briefing on progress on Prime Minister's 100 days agenda with media persons with regard to government's decisions of increasing gas and electricity tariffs.
"The government has burden honest consumers instead of taking action against thieves" media persons asked questions. They also asked what is the difference between previous and the present government in terms of appointments in bureaucracy as both preferred juniors and blued eyes over seniors.
Chaudhry Fawad and Arbab Shahzad had no satisfactory answer when asked that the government instead of taking action against 23 percent gas theft and power pilferage has done exactly the same thing of passing on the burden to the consumers, which had been done by the previous government. The minister, however, stated that increase in gas price will affect the high gas slab consumers and not the low gas slab consumers.
Arbab Shahzad said that the Prime Minister's 100 Days Plan prepared in consultation with experts is on track and course of delivery on six themes; transform governance, uplift agriculture and conserve water, strengthen federation, revolutionize social services, revitalize economic growth, and to ensure Pakistan's national security has been set from day one.
On transformation of governance, he said that local government laws have been drafted for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab police and civil services reforms have been launched while committees have been constituted on Karachi master plan and creation of South Punjab province to strengthen the federation.
The advisor said that housing framework will be launched within this month while work on national agriculture and livestock emergency program has been expedited. A meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) has already been held on water policy and meeting of Water Council will take place soon. He said, "We have set the course of delivery on 100 Days Plan from day one and cabinet is being briefed regularly on the progress on each theme."
Shahzad stated, "So far we are on track and 35 indicators have been translated into 100 milestones and so far 35 milestones have already been achieved." The minister also pointed out some misreporting on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with relation to Saudi investment. "I have stated that Saudi Arabia will not sit at Joint Ministerial Committee because it is a bilateral framework between Pakistan and China," he added.
The minister said that under the new local government system, whose draft is being given final touches, district and tehsil nazims or mayor will be directly elected and village council concept based on KP will be adopted in Punjab to replace union council and majority of administrative and services departments and development budget will be devolved to the local governments.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018

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